Ghosts of His Forgotten Past
by kytus
Summary: AU. Edward finds a place that has more in common with his future than his past, though it inadvertently ties them together. But will the cursed grounds prevent him and his lost human memories from finding peace?
1. Past Havens

**Ghosts of His Forgotten Past**

**Past Havens**

He hadn't been here in almost 50 years.

The scenery had changed but the weather had not. The wind still blew in gales, pushing and pushing and pushing with all its might against anything that stood in its way. People doubled over, trees bent into horribly disfigured shapes and garbage littered the streets and skies; everything succumbed to its forced.

But not he.

He stood tall as his coat whipped around him, jeans stuck to the back of his legs and hair blew into his eyes. He stood like a wall that even the Big Bad Wolf had no chance of blowing down, never mind the brute force of the famous Windy City's turbulent weather.

Nothing could sway him; or his family.

_It's beautiful, even after all these years. I can't believe it's still standing,_ a feminine mind sighed. _Its history has elegance that I haven't seen in a long time._

Ok, so maybe not everything had changed. His childhood home still clung to its foundations and stretched tall all the way to its chimney stack. They had taken good care of it, and for that he was grateful. The whitewash stone was crisp and clean save for a few watermarks here and there from the heavy down pour over the colder months, as well as on the windows. Everything looked well maintained; the door, window frames and sills; the small front garden, which had only been unattended for the past two months; the iron gates and fencing had not rusted. All in all he was pleased.

The caretaker had written to him once that a storm had taken on a portion of the roof and some of the upper windows; and he could see with his heighted sighted where the tiles and a corner of the chimney breast had been replaced, he doubted a human's eye could spot the defect to the original building though, and he again thanked its keeper for keeping his home as much as it once was.

_Son,_ it was Carlisle, placing a firm hand upon his unmoveable shoulder, _would you like to go in now?_

I was thankful for my family for letting me do this and happy that Carlisle was there with his comforting presence. It was a hard decision to make coming back here and for an undetermined amount of time, but it was time for him to embrace his past and relish in the good times this place and environment bought to him as well as come to terms with pain and suffering he had left behind.

_Yes_, he thought, and removed his key from the pocket of his jeans, strode purposefully across the street and slid it into the rusted lock of the wooden door.

It smelt different, but _ahhh was it good to be home._

"Dibbs on the first floor bedroom with the park view."

"Alice!" our mother scolded, "Remember where you are. You haven't even taken two steps inside and you are already deciding the living arrangements. Edward has the final say; he has graciously offered us the use of his home after all."

I chuckled as I waved her off, "It's okay Esme, she's known she'll have it since we made the decision to come here. Plus, it's your home now too."

"Oh Edward, you are such a sweet boy. But it still would have been more polite to have asked _first_, even if she knew the outcome." She gave a mock glare at Alice but smiled as soon as she received a pouty 'Sorry', though she was still bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement.

"Now what say you about tiding up this place, and getting rid of these ugly dust sheets?"

I gave her a huge smile, "I would love that."

**~:O:~**

It hadn't taken us long to clean the place up; the old caretaker and his wife had retired two months ago and moved down south to enjoy a warmer and less windy climate, and left the house in impeccable condition apart from the dust and overgrowth of the garden. He had looked after the place so well I had given him the keys to a quaint little bungalow in Missouri.

They had obviously refused at first but Esme, with her kind persuasion, had pushed them into keeping it without them feeling guilty for taking such a large retirement package for his last forty-five years of work from me.

There weren't that many people like the Suttons anymore.

Esme had done a wonderful job washing the drapes and linens, polishing the ornaments, trinkets and my mother's prized tableware and crystal.

Emmett had tackled the parquet flooring until it had shined a rich dark oak. It would have been quicker for him to have gotten on his knees and scrubbed but he enjoyed using human machinery. I could have definitely seen him as a construction worker or carpenter if he ever decided to get a job instead of repeating school over and over. Jasper took on the rest of the woodwork such as the staircases, doors, window frames and skirtings and dadoes.

It was Alice and Rosalie's job to arrange all our belongings we had decided to bring from our last place of residence in Dauphin, there was quite a lot of it and I hadn't realise how much stuff we had accumulated over the years. It was fortunate the house housed many large rooms and a spacious attic.

Carlisle was currently looking for a job in one of the local hospitals and clinics; not something that took that much effort, but he liked to be somewhere he felt he was making the most difference. The hospital he had worked in over a century ago had been torn down and replaced with office blocks. I didn't know how to feel about that, it was not only the last place I had been while human but also the last place I had seen my parents alive, then again, it was not something I wanted to remember them like. Especially my mother.

It was my duty to find a school for us 'children' to go to. I had attended Wheaton Academy back in the day, but again, I didn't want old memories to get to me especially a school that prided itself on its history. I was debating on a few public schools or branching out on my own for a couple of years and attending The Chicago Academy for the Arts. That way I could enjoy the music and playing and not standout as much with so many accomplished musicians around me. It would also be somewhat exciting to have discussions with my peers who held the same love and passion I had for the classics, not that we ever got close to many humans, but it was a nice thought.

Alice would butcher me a live for it though; she had a thing for us staying together. Esme also felt the same; but if it was helping one of us to progress in our talents and passions she wouldn't have such a problem with it, as long as I was in the same state of course.

It took us just eighteen hours to get everything done and my family settled in. So with the house much quieter than it had been since we first walked through the door, I ventured up to my old, now new, bedroom.

It was on the top floor just over Alice and Jasper's room so I too had a view of the park across the street. I let out an unneeded breath and turned the handle to push open the door.

The familiar feeling of stepping into a room that held all your childhood memories washed over me, not that I had many, but with every object that my eyes passed over from the very much out of date and faded wallpaper to the writing desk standing against it (and the long overdue school papers that littered the top), my box of tin soldiers to the balding teddy bear sitting on my metal-framed bed; it had me feeling like I had never left. The wave of forgotten nostalgia was unexpected yet welcomed.

Everything was as I had left it apart from the new, and not so new, belongings I had bought with me that stood next to the large mahogany armoire. I had asked Alice and Rose not to unpack my things as I was not yet ready to give up the presence of my youth just yet.

The sun was peeking through the tree's leaves outside the window creating a mottled pattern of orange and green light mixed with shadows. I didn't breathe, too scared to move and disturb even the dust motes flowing in the air, and even though I knew my family had already been in here to clean up the space, it felt sacred. I hadn't felt this way when I had walked into my mother and father's bedroom, which now belonged to my new parents. It's rather strange how we feel connected to certain spaces.

This was all mine; my haven and my past, the place where it all started.

The place I felt most safe.

**~:O:~**

**Author's Note:**

I know I shouldn't be doing this, what with my DM/HG fic pining for attention, I just couldn't help myself with sinking my teeth into something new, like a totally new fandom kind of new. But don't worry I haven't given up on it; it's just taking me a lifetime to get back into the swing of things.

So until then, I hope you enjoy some Twilight love.

Oh, and by the way, please keep in mind that I am British and I current have no beta, so if you spot some Brit-slang in there I don't mind if you correct me; though I have tried my best and done my fair share of research.


	2. Past Trends

**Ghosts of His Forgotten Past**

**Past Trends**

"Oh I love this one. Jasper, what do you think?"

Her husband gave a noncommittal glace, turned back towards his book and shrugged. He really did not have any thoughts at that moment that Alice would have found beneficial or welcome. He was such a book nerd when it came to History. It was the only class he actually put effort into, even if needn't, _and_ he had lived through over two-thirds of it.

Alice huffed and got my attention by shoving the old dress in my face. "What about you Edward? Don't you think it would look lovely if I could replace some of this beading and cinched in the waist a touch?"

She had such excitement in her eyes and mind I felt sorry that nobody was around or interested enough in her new project to appreciate it.

"I don't know," I said hopelessly. "Fashion is not my forte."

"Fashion! You think this is _fashion_?" she cried, again thrusting the dress in my face. I batted it away and this caused her to clutch it to her chest like a Madonna would her babe.

I shot Jasper a glare for his internal snort. He knew what was about to happen. He had the right idea: if you knew nothing of Alice's interest; it was be not to provoke her into a tirade.

"This isn't just _fashion_. Oh, no, no, no. No. No. This, my dear brother," (here she held up the dress at her side and did a sweeping arm gesture long the outline of it; like those redundant girls on infomercials and shopping channels that try and get you to buy crap), "is _Vintage_. And that's vintage with a capital 'V'."

She looked like it was the most important piece of information she could ever give me.

I stared back at her blankly.

She gave out a little frustrated squeal but in her mind she sighed, _Men! Where are Rose and Esme when you need them?_

"Esme's at the nursery with Emmett and Rose is, well I don't know where Rose is, but _you_ should be able to figure that one out quite quickly."

"I think you will find that was a rhetorical question," chimed in Jasper, not even glancing from his book. He hadn't heard her thought, however, he was the one to know best when Alice needed an answer or not.

"Sure I did." I tapped my temple. "Mind reader, remember? I just like to see her get wound up once in a while. She always so chipper all the time it's unnerving, not to mention annoying."

He shrugged yet again and turned his current page with a snap. _You shouldn't have given 12 trunks full of clothes then._

"Well that will not be in the so near future," Alice piped in, "with all these beautiful clothes I have to riffle through. But are you sure it's okay for me to do this, I mean they are your mother's and I wouldn't want you-"

I held up my hand. I had to stop her now before I changed my mind and locked them back in their trunks to preserve for another century. "Stop." Big breath. "They _were _my mother's, Alice. She has no use for them, and I certainly don't. I gave them to you because I know you will appreciate and take good care of them. So stop looking a gift horse in the mouth and enjoy yourself. Think of it as your next 10 years worth of Christmas presents."

She was sceptical at first, then her eyes lit up and she squealed again and hugged me.

"Oh, thank you, thank you," _thank you, thank you, thank you, oh, thank you, thank you..._

She sounded like she could keep this up all day, which I didn't doubt she could.

I returned the hug. "Just don't ask me my opinion again until you're wearing them."

Laughing, she let go. She looked like she could have cried from sheer happiness.

"Edward, you are officially my new favourite brother."

"Don't let Emmett hear you say that."

"Too late," a voice boomed. "We're baaack."

With a big smile she hooked the dress's hanger over her head, so the attached dress hung down her front, and danced out of the room swishing the yellow fabric around her.

Jasper harrumphed. "We're not going to see her for the next few weeks now that you've given her this project, or Rosalie and Esme if she gets them in on it too."

I grinned, "I know."

He cocked an eyebrow.

"What? I thought you would be happy to have some alone time?"

_Yes, but Alice is going to misconstrue it as an attempt to foist her off because we don't want her around. And you do realise she saw what you just did before you did it, don't you?_

I cringed. It was so easy to forget that Alice always knew what was going to happen before even the three fates knew themselves, (not that they necessarily applied to us).

There was going to be some payback.

I did it to make her happy dam nit, and possibly have a few days piece on the side. I mean, what was I suppose to do with it all?

_Crap!_

**~:O:~**

School was the same old story.

Be stared at, classes, classes, be stared at again, more classes, unneeded lunch hour, and be stared at some more during the final classes of the day.

It was all unnecessary these periods of time we lazed away at school, even if it sort of made me feel less lazy by doing something that wasn't considered lazy to most, but _I_ still considered lazy even if technically I wasn't being lazy.

It made sense to me.

In the end I had decided to stick with my siblings and attend the same school. We had been attending for the past two months now. I had an indefinite amount of time in my hands and hundreds of music schools I can look forward to attending in the future. There was no need to rush, even if it felt like I hadn't been rushing all of my life.

I was ironic how I always told myself that every time we moved. The cycle was endless. And it would be nice to rush every now and then.

Sometimes I wished something new would come along and kick things up a bit. But here I would tell myself I was being a touch hypocritical as I was content to leave things as they were. The only time I hadn't caught myself out in this theory was, not so ironically, when we moved here. My home city; the town I was born; the house I grew up in.

If this wasn't giving the boat a little nudge, I didn't know what would.

The bell rang out in the halls and filtered into the classroom.

_Finally,_ I thought.

My text books and notepad were stuffed into my bag before the teacher or any of the students around me heard it.

And I was up and out of the door before any of them had even registered it was the end of the school day.

I knew I was taking a risk by giving the humans a small glance of my enhanced abilities; it was just that today had felt more drawn-out than any other I had spent here; add the fact that I had just sat through a Sex Ed class with eighteen pubescent teenagers and a teacher that had been fantasising for the past forty-five minutes about giving a physical demonstration in front of everyone _with me._ It would make any vampire uneasy and a tad disturbed at what these humans can come up in the bedroom – or out of it. (Emmett doesn't count; he would have no qualms of giving everyone a show they wouldn't forget).

And here I thought I had heard everything.

I hopped into my car and waited for the others to show. A generic pop song blared out of the radio when I turned it on so I quickly switched it off. Emmett and his hideous taste in music.

Alice and Emmett arrived first.

_She_ was giggling.

_He _was trying to get her to spill whatever had caused her amusement.

_I_ scowled.

"Hey Ed, what's got the pixie tickled."

"You don't want to know."

_Oh, I think he does. _"Ms Trimble wants Edward to-"

"Don't you dare," I shot at her.

"What? Wants Edward to, what?"

"Alice!" I warned.

I would never hear the end of it if Emmett found out.

She stuck her tongue out. "You're no fun."

Emmett grumbled.

By this time Jasper and Rose had joined us. They piled in and we sped off towards home.

**~:O:~**

I never begrudged what they had found in one another, I was just that being around three couples who were very much in love, and that I could read every one of their thoughts – though I tried to block them out as much as possible (especially Emmett's) – it sometimes left me on a downer.

I had to get away just for awhile every now and them.

I jumped up from my bed and out the door and down the stairs. As I was about to leave Esme interrupted.

"Are off out again?"

I nodded.

She gave me a sad smile. "Be safe, and keep in touch, okay?"

I nodded again and ducked out the front door, catching the beginning of her conversation with Carlisle.

_"I feel so horrible about driving him out of him own home."_

_"I'm sure he doesn't feel that way, love."_

_"But he must do, he doesn't have someone special to-"_

I jumped in my car and let my subconscious drive.

I was happy for them. Truly I was. Each had faced troubles that could break anyone's spirit - not all of them in their human lives - and had faced them head on and found someone they had lived their whole lives to find and love at the end of it all.

Can flukes happen in threes?

Or was that only the bad?

It didn't matter to me either way. I was me and I couldn't see that ever changing, not in this lifetime anyway. And even if I did believe in reincarnation or the afterlife it wasn't something that could be applied to my kind.

I had this life or Hell.

I had the urge to stop. So I did. I had to have been driving for over four hours, not even noticing the scenery around me, my speed or the amount of red lights I had run. Other than skydiving, driving was the closest thing to running I could find. I liked the way it allowed me to think freely or clear my mind and feel the rush of power and speed.

Peering through the light spring rain to see where I had unconsciously bought myself I saw a sign;

Oak Woods Cemetery.

One thing I was certain of; I would not be buried here. I would have to be burned alive and have my ashes scattered into the ocean. I could not even bring myself to have my second death taint a holy place.

I'm not religious and have no fear of voicing my opinions on the subject; my faith stopped as soon as I realised what I had become.

My mother, from what I remember, was a Christian, if the rosary beads and statue of the Virgin Mother on her nightstand was anything to go by, I just don't understand how a monster like myself could ever be welcome in a place where the dead rested.

I was dead, but I never rested.

_They_ lay beyond those gates, and I smiled for the first time about their deaths. They were my parents and they didn't deserve to die the way they did, I was just happy they could be accepted.

I had never been to see their last resting place.

Even if I felt unworthy of stepping foot in this place, I needed to say a proper goodbye.

**~:O:~**

**Author's Notes:**

I still have no beta, so I apologise for any typos.

Sorry for going all melancholy on you at the end there, but that is general tone I am aiming for. I won't be giving up on the comedy though; it will appear again.

Thank you to all my readers, especially those who were kind enough to leave a review (they got a little treat from me for being the first – a preview of this chapter).

Chapters won't be coming along this fast in the future, but I am aiming to have one up each week.

Until next time,

Kytus x


	3. Past Trials

**Ghosts of His Forgotten Past**

**Past Trials**

The cemetery was huge.

Not all of the grounds were filled will gravestones or tombs, or mausoleums; there were large expanses of lawn and areas of dense foliage and trees. It was well maintained which led me to believe I had entered the new and most resent expansion of the graveyard.

The headstones were newer, polished onyx and marble, the gold filigree of names and dates glowed in the moonlight and magnified in the fat raindrops that slid into the grooves. Flowers adorned the inset pots, beautiful arrangements in an array of colours, ribbons and cards decorated them proclaiming their love and repeating the phrase _'You will not be forgotten'_.

I past a freshly dug grave, more of a hole really; the length of it was no more than two feet. The rain had made a made a slushy mound of the earth piled next to it, and pools of congealed mud lay at its bottom. I felt a wave of sadness for the child who had lost its life and more importantly to the parents who had lost their child. If I really thought about it there was most likely a story behind the death than just a child dying. They could have been in an accident or had an incurable illness which led the mother and father to make the decision to let their son or daughter go. My heart went out to them even more.

I kept moving, it would not be wise for me to linger in this part where the smell of death was most fresh.

As I past grave after grave they became older and more weather-beaten and the flowers fewer. I tried not to look at the names, just their dates so that would know that I was heading in the right direction.

The rain had slowed and eventually stopped as I stood before the red marble of the great Jesse Owens', which was remarkably, still littered with flowers. 1980. I guess the famous weren't forgotten as quickly, or I just remembered too much and forgotten that some people did too. But I was still a long way off what I was seeking.

I was still standing in front of his stone when I heard the shrill squeal across the lake.

It was almost two in the morning, I hadn't expected there to be other people here, especially when the cemetery was locked up at night.

My mind went into overdrive as I heard the sound again, and my instincts from so many years ago started to kick in. The sound had come from a young girl. I heard no thoughts but I imagined her to be cornered by a hulking man or even a group of them as she cowered and screamed for help. Their thoughts would be ugly and revolting, rejoicing in their find and aroused by their victims fear and their plans for them, their hearts blacker than tar.

Without the aid of my better judgement, I shot off around the lake.

A growl ready to rip forth from my throat; it was my turn to imagine what I would do to them. No I would not drink form them, those days had long past, perhaps I would take a leaf out of Rosalie's book and give them a taste of their own medicine. I was beyond rational thought as I planned their torture.

Another squeal, yet this one made me pause.

It was not made in pain, but in _pleasure_?

Was I about to interrupt a clandestine rendezvous? I had found over the years that graveyard trysts were no secret amongst hormonal teenagers, no matter what decade they grew up in.

Then I felt guilty for what I had been thinking, I would have been no better than the nonexistent human monsters that had taken over my mind.

I hung my head in shame as I waited for the sound again, just to make sure I was not leaving a nightmare to unfold.

Yes, there it was.

This time it was followed by clapping.

I screwed my face up in bewilderment. What was going on? And why did I not hear any thoughts from the girl?

_Meow._

A cat?

Another scenario ran through my mind. Had she followed a cat into the cemetery and was now playing with the creature? Where were her parents? Why were they not out looking for her? Or perhaps they were; worried sick out of their minds?

I rounded the moss covered mausoleum I had frozen behind to a sight I could not fathom.

The young girl, who could be no older than 8, was swinging a large ginger cat around in her arms. She was squealing from the force of her turns when suddenly she fell over, the cat scrambling away from her grip. Both were now too dizzy to stand or even walk straight.

The girl just sat there giggling and swaying in her self-induced high, while the cat yowled and gripped its claws into the damp earth.

When the girl seemed to have found her centre of gravity she jumped up and skipped around the cat clapping, while her little white dress and curly brown hair twirled around her. The feline shot her a very unimpressed glare.

"Oh, don't be a big baby," she laughed. "That was fun."

She made a grab for the cat, but it must have found its equilibrium because it shot of like a dart. Right at...

_Me._

I leap out of the way but it was too late. She had seen me.

We stood there staring at each other for a long moment before a large toothy grin spread across her face.

"Hello," she said, then gave a very flamboyant yet wobbly curtsy towards me.

Unable to think of anything of value to say or do after watching her little display, I said hello back.

"I've never seen you here before; are you new?"

"New?" I frowned. "No I..."

"Oh, I didn't think there were any funerals today." She seemed sad at this fact. Why would a little girl be sad over there the fact that someone hadn't died? But then I thought back to the open grave near the entrance; there would surely be one in the morning if not the day after.

"But that doesn't matter," she beamed, making her way towards me.

I had the irrational urge to take a step back from her.

"We can still be friends." She stuck her hand out, "My friends call me Nellie, what's yours?"

I didn't take her hand. "Edward."

She was disappointed but didn't let my cold greeting affect her for long. Her eyes shun as she smiled at me. "It's nice to meet you Edward."

I didn't reply. There was something about this girl I couldn't quite put my finger on or get my head around. Now that she was standing closer to me, so close she had to crane her head up, I could just about hear her thoughts but I couldn't fully grasp them, they felt like whispers in the wind. I could hardly decipher them.

"So, what brings you here, Edward?"

"I'm looking for someone."

"Oh," she squealed and clapped her hands. "Like hide and seek? I like playing games. Can I play too, Edward?"

She seemed to like saying my name.

"No."

She pouted. Oddly enough, she reminded me of Alice.

"Well can you at least tell me who you are looking for, Edward?"

Yes. Definitely liked saying my name.

"My parents."

"Are they dead?" The way she said it sent a shiver down my spine. She sounded hopeful.

I looked at her warily. "Yes."

She clapped her hands in excitement.

It clenched my heart to see someone, especially a little girl to find so much enjoyment in my parent demise; I found myself becoming angry at her. I stopped myself though; she was just a naive child. She probably didn't know what it was like to lose your parents at a young age.

Nellie was bouncing on the balls of her feet. The longer I spent around her the more she resembled Alice.

"If you tell me their names, Edward, I can find them for you."

What a strange little girl. Did she spend all her time here? Again, I thought of her parents.

"Shouldn't we be looking for yours? I bet they're really worried about you."

She waved my concern off. "Nonsense, Edward. They're dead too."

That shocked me. Perhaps she did know the pain of being an orphan.

Before I could reply she was off again.

"So are you going to tell me their names? Trust me, I can find them for you. I know everyone who lives here."

The way she phrased that didn't fit quite right.

But to keep her happy I played along.

"Edward and Elizabeth Masen."

Nellie jumped up and laughed.

"Yes," she crowed. "I know just where they are."

She took my hand and pulled me along.

"They are just this way, Edward."

She seemed so sure of herself; I could do nothing but follow. This night had turned out rather strangely. My aim was to search out my parents to say goodbye, and I had unwittingly gained myself an accomplice to help me in said search.

Nothing seemed right about it.

As we past grave after grave I tried to get her talking again. It was too quiet without the ability to hear her thoughts fully.

"_How_ do you know where they are?"

She turned her head to look up at me as we walked. She shrugged, "I like to read the headstones."

"Oh."

"It says: Edward Masen Sr. Born - January 8th 1876, Died - September 24th 1918. Beloved Husband and Father to Elizabeth and Edward Jr.

"Below it has: Here also lies his beloved wife Elizabeth Masen. Born - April 12th 1881. Died - October 3rd 1918. Always together even in death."

Nellie grinned at her perfect memory.

I would have cried if I could. Nellie must have noticed my change in mood.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to make you sad. But that's what it says, honest."

I squeezed her hand, which I hadn't notice until this moment that it did not feel warm or cold. It felt neutral. I did it to let her know she hadn't done anything wrong.

Something was definitely up with this girl.

"It's okay." I hoped my accompanying smile was reassuring.

She returned it and resumed our walk.

It only took us a few more minutes to reach our goal.

"There," said pointing to the weathered stone, bare of any adornments except for the grass and gnarled weeds surround it and its peers as though swallowing it up. "I said I knew where it was, didn't I, Edward?"

I knelt before it and pulling away the brittle tangles of vines and thistles that tried to consume it.

And there I saw them just as Nellie had recited perfectly. The engraving was almost smoothed out completely but I could make out its markings.

**Edward Masen Sr.**

**Born - January 8****th**** 1876**

**Died - September 24****th**** 1918**

**Beloved Husband and Father to Elizabeth and Edward Jr.**

**Here also lies his beloved wife**

**Elizabeth Masen**

**Born - April 12****th**** 1881**

**Died - October 3****rd**** 1918**

**Always together even in death.**

I felt a sob ripple up through my sternum and into my throat. I tried not to let it out but I had no power over the sadness and anguish I felt. It felt more real than ever seeing their names set in stone, more so than when Carlisle had first told me or even when I had stepped for the first time in our home not two months before.

"Hey, Edward, are you okay?" she said kneeling beside me, concern evident in her voice. "I thought you would be-"

"Nellie? Nellie? Are you there?"

Both our heads whipped up at the sound of the new voice.

"Nellie?"

"Oh, no," the girl whispered. "I'm in trouble now."

**~:O:~**

**Author's Notes:**

Hey everyone. I hope you liked the latest chapter.

I did lots of research of the Cemetery for this chapter, and took some liberties with it as well. On my profile there is a picture of Jesse Owens' gravestone (yes he is a real person) and a bit of information about him as well.

I won't have the next chapter until the week after next (half is written already), unless I can get my hands on a computer, as I'm going on holiday tomorrow.

Until next time,

Kytus x


	4. Past Feeling

**Ghosts of His Forgotten Past**

**Past Feeling**

"_Hey, Edward, are you okay?" she said kneeling beside me, concern evident in her voice. "I thought you would be-"_

"_Nellie? Nellie? Are you there?"_

_Both our heads whipped up at the sound of the new voice._

"_Nellie?"_

"_Oh, no," the girl whispered. "I'm in trouble now."_

I looked at Nellie who was now crewing on the finger nails of one hand while the other fisted the hem of her frilly white dress. She didn't looked scared just incredibly nervous, and from her quiet thoughts I heard her frustration at being caught.

"Nellie?" the voice called again, much closer now. It would only be a matter of seconds before we would be seen.

"Who is that? What is going on?" I whispered at the girl. I felt rather protective of her even if I had only known her a few short hours, and if there was a real threat out there I wanted to be prepared, she was only a little girl and could not fully comprehend the danger she could be in. She, after all, did not show any fear when she was around me. And I was the biggest danger of them all.

I never liked being in the dark about anything. Alice was excellent at keeping me out, it had taken her decades, but with those decades I had too learnt how to read my sister and figure out what exactly she was hiding from me. And now I was frustrated because again I could not hear the thoughts of the stranger.

This. This was unforeseen territory. I didn't like it and I doubt I would ever get use to it.

Nellie's eyes widened and the rustle of a bush alerted me to inevitable presence of our newcomer.

In less than a nanosecond, I was standing as I grabbed Nellie's arm, being careful now to crush her, and pulled her behind me, she gave a small shriek of shock, but I kept her close with my one arm as I descended into a defensive hunch ready for the attack.

Though what stood before me was the last thing I had ever expected to see in this situation. I was thoroughly speechless and my mind drew a blank. In all my years I had never seen a being quite like this one.

A young woman stood before me.

In her nightgown.

Her eyes spat fire after the initial reaction of shock had left them.

"Get your hands off her."

Against my better judgement, my arm tightened. I didn't know what to make of this confusing development. This was no ordinary predicament. It was better to be on the defence.

The woman stepped forward.

"I said get your damn hands of her."

She was beyond pissed.

She took another step.

I growled in retaliation.

That's when Nellie made her move.

She gripped the back of my shirt as her head peeked out from behind me.

"It's okay. This is my new friend Edward. He won't hurt me, will you Edward?" she asked as she looked up at my face and nodded encouragingly.

I glanced back at the woman. From her expression I gathered she wouldn't believe a word that came out of my mouth. I removed my arm and raised both hands so as not to anger her further, but I still stayed on my guard. I didn't know this woman but she did seem to know the girl. Perhaps they were related; that would explain her over protectiveness.

"Nellie, come here right now."

She ducked back down gripping me tighter and mumbled a defiant 'no'.

The woman sighed and her shoulders slumped. My hackles where raised again.

"What have I told you about the visitors?" she sounded defeated and tired, as though she had asked this question many times. She even acted as though I wasn't even here.

Nellie released me and came out from her hiding spot to stand beside me.

She watched her toe scuff the sodden grass. "They're here to grieve, not to make friends."

"That's right. So why do you persist on interfering?"

"But I wasn't. I was helping."

"You give me that answer every time."

"But I'm telling the truth this time," she said stubbornly. "Aren't I Edward?"

I goggled at the girl. What the hell was going on? The atmosphere had changed so rapidly around the three of us I would have been certain Jasper had a hand in this if I wasn't positive he was at home right now.

I looked between the two of them at a loss for words as silence blew through the trees.

Nellie tugged on my sleeve and gave me an encouraging smile. "Go on Edward. Tell her."

The woman crossed her arms and tapped her foot, her expression sceptical, nonplussed that she was standing in front of me still in her nightgown.

"I- She- What?" I never stuttered. And again I asked myself what was going on? This not could not become anymore bizarre.

I was given a sad smile and a shake of the head. "Can't you see you're bothering him? Come on Nel, we should go and leave him be."

"But-"

"No buts young lady, we're leaving." She came forward and grabbed Nellie's hand.

Nellie was still trying to convince her of the truth as the woman ushered her away. She eventually left us alone, reluctantly, and made a great display of showing it.

"I'm sorry. She doesn't get to meet new people very often and can be a bit of a handful," was her explanation to the scene we just shared, "Don't worry we won't bother you again," she said along with a lovely smile.

I had the unexplainable feeling of wanting to be bothered, especially by her.

I was about to explain myself to her, I did owe it to the little girl, (she was in trouble after all for helping_ me)_, when the wind changed directions-

And the scent I picked up could only be described as mouth-watering ambrosia.

I froze and fought with myself to stay still and hold my breath.

When she turned to leave her hair fanned out behind her tickling my nose, and I caught another less potent odour, yet much more pleasing.

Freesia.

Before I could make my move she was gone.

**~:O:~**

**Author's Notes:**

Hello, I'm back off my hols and finally caught up on all the work I have missed.

I'm not too happy with this chapter. I've rewritten it twice, the end just feels blah!

It's short and I'm sure it's a bit confusing to you (as well as Edward), and if it is, I've done my job; which makes me happy. I hope I've got all the info I wanted to put into it to still keep you in the dark for a little while longer, though I think the identity of the mystery woman it out of the bag, but I wouldn't make too many assumptions just yet. Then again, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Please leave me a review.

Kytus x


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